At least 60 bodies have been recovered following a boat capsizing incident in Niger State, Nigeria.
The accident occurred on the notorious Gbajibo River in the Mokwa Local Government Area while the boat was transporting approximately 300 people to the Annual Maulud celebration from Mundi to Gbajibo.
According to Abubakar Dakani, Press Secretary to the Council Chairman of Mokwa, about 10 survivors have also been rescued, and ongoing search efforts are being coordinated with the State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) and local volunteers to locate others who are still missing. He stated, “The boat capsized while on its way for the Mawlid celebrations, and we are currently conducting search and rescue operations to recover those still missing.”
NSEMA’s Director-General, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed that a total of 150 individuals were rescued thanks to the swift response of the agency and community volunteers. He noted, “The agency is yet to ascertain the cause of the mishap. We are working closely with local divers and community volunteers to monitor the situation and provide timely updates.”
The incident took place on the evening of October 1 around 8:30 PM, upstream of the Jebba dam. The boat was primarily carrying women and children, and the agency is actively monitoring the search and rescue operations in collaboration with the state Ministry of Transport and local divers.
Updates regarding the situation will be provided as the search efforts continue.
